One Last Kiss
by LadyShowStopper
Summary: It's the day before the games, and Clove needs an answer.


**One Last Kiss**

**I am in love with Hunger Games and I ship Clato forever! XD**

**This is just a oneshot, but I hope it will be enough. :DDD**

**- Clove -**

_"Why did you volunteer?" _I ask him, nibbling on a blue grape.

I've been asking him ever since we went in the train, and he still won't give me an honest answer. And he's been ignoring me.

"I wanted to bring honor to the district, you know that, Clove." Cato replies, raking his head over his golden blonde hair.

"I'm not stupid, Cato." I sit beside him on the soft cream-colored sofa. "I know you have another reason why you volunteered."

"I volunteered _solely_ because I want to bring honor to our district, and to kick some butt." he says casually. Too casually.

He's obviously lying.

"You're lying."

"Stop it. I need to concentrate." he snaps. "I need to focus to win this thing! Some of us have to work hard, you know!"

"Fine then! Be the ass you are! It's never been the same ever since you went insane over the idea of winning this thing!" I storm out of the room and go to my bedroom.

I slam the door loudly, to make sure that he heard it.

_Why can't he even answer one single question?_

**- Cato -**

I hear the door slam angrily, the sound is like thunder whipping the wind to my ears. Girls. They are so overacting. Clove doesn't know it, but almost all I've been thinking about is her question. Her question and _her._

I already have an answer. I've always had it, from the start.

It's not honor.

It's not glory.

It's not wealth.

It's not power.

It's not fame.

It's something more human than all of those things. It's something more important than all of those things.

It's the most precious thing in the world for me.

_She's the most precious thing in the world for me._

From the moment that her name was called during the reaping, I knew what I had to do. I volunteered. What else could I do? I need to protect her. And I'm determined to get her out of the games, alive and breathing, even if it takes my own life in return.

But she cannot know. She will blame herself for my death, and I don't want that to happen. I want her to live freely and happily, even if I'm not with her.

**- C****love -**

I do nothing but sulk in my room the whole day. Before his first reaping, Cato was the most fun and awesome best friend I ever had. But after his brother got killed on that year, he changed. He was obsessed on winning the Hunger Games for his brother.

Suddenly, his voice interrupts my thinking.

"Brutus and Enobaria told me to call you!"

"Go away." I remark.

I hear his exasperated sigh.

"You do know that you're acting like a child about this." he says.

"I don't care!" I shout back. He does not have the right to think that I'm acting like a child! _He_ is acting like a child! Mature people face the question, not avoid it!

"Look, I'm breaking this door down if I have to." he warns, and I know he is telling the truth. Cato will, and can break that door down if the situation calls for it.

For an example, right now.

"I'd like to see you try!" I challenge haughtily.

Wait a second.

"Wait!" I shout. "If.. If I go to dinner, will you tell me?"

I know I don't need to tell him what he needs to tell me. He knows it.

"C'mon Cato." I plead. "It's the last night before the Hunger Games! Tell me!"

He is silent for a moment.

I wait patiently for his reply, but every second feels like an hour.

"If I tell you, then will you go to dinner willingly?" he asks cautiously.

"That's what I said, didn't I?"

**- Cato -**

What had I gotten myself into?

I can't believe I promised her I would tell her. It was something about her plea. I.. I just.. Damn, forget it.

Clove sits on the sofa, twirling her soft silky brown hair. "So...?" she trails of questioningly.

"Promise not to freak out?"

"Yeah whatever. Just tell me!" she orders impatiently.

"I.. I.." Damnit! I'm pretty sure I have never, ever, stuttered before this. Well, except for that time my cousins and I had to play this really old musical called The Sound of Music. I had to sing, unfortunately. If you ever tell a single soul, I will hunt you down.

"Go on.."

"I did it to protect you!" I finally blurt out.

She looks stunned for a moment. "Wait, what?"

"I did it to protect you. I couldn't let you die if I could do something about it. I volunteered so that I can go in the arena with you, and keep you alive." I say.

"At the price of your own life? Cato, are you crazy?" she screeches.

Well, I kind of expected this reaction.

"I can't let you die! Not when I'm going to live!"

"Why? It's not like you have a reason to keep me living. I'm a monster, Clove. The world would be a better place without me." I tell her.

The sound of deafening silence fills my ears. Then finally, she replies.

"My world would be incomplete without you, Cato." she whispers. "You're a good person at heart. Remember that." she lays her hand on my beating heart.

The silence that comes next is a little awkward, but comfortable.

"Clove." I begin. "Do you know why I wanted to protect you?" My heart races faster than ever.

"No. Why?"

"It's because.. Clove, I love you."

"You what?"

"I love you. I'm sorry, if you don't feel that way. I just had to say that. Because tonight may be the last chance I get to tell you those words."

Suddenly, her face changes from kind and understanding to cold and snarling.

_What did I say?_

"Cato! Don't you dare tell me you won't be getting out of there alive!" she exclaims. "We'll make it back! Both of us! Do you understand?" she squeezes my hand so tightly it hurt.

_"Clove, do you love me too?"_ I ask quietly.

She looks surprised, as if she did not expect that question.

Then to my surprise, she wraps her arms around my neck.

_"If you must know, I love you too, Cato. Ever since that day.."_ her beautiful voice tickles my ear.

She loves me?

"You love me too?" I ask, astonished.

"Didn't I just say that, you idot?" I can feel her grin widening. She lets go of me and looks straight into my eyes.

I hold her warm lovely face in my hands, and ask the question I've been wanting to ask ever since that day.

_"Do I get One Last Kiss?"_

**Done! How was it? I hope it was okay! XD Please review!**


End file.
